Sitting for the Exam

In discussions with numerous information technology certified individuals the following basic recommendations were provided as related to the actual test taking required for certifications. This applies to individual tests. Some of these recommendations may seem basic, but all are based on input from professionals who have earned many prestigious certifications.

 

The night before the exam get some good rest and you will probably study a bit but don’t try to cram any new knowledge that evening. Schedule the exam for the morning if possible so you are not apprehensive all day long about the event and take that whole morning off from work, although hopefully your employer won’t make you take time for your test and considers it training. Give yourself a good amount of time to get to the testing center a bit early. 

 

Those individuals holding a certification, and really any experienced student, provide guidance about standard test taking approaches. For instance, eliminate obviously wrong answers to a question and then focus on the potential options. For tricky questions that solicit which answer is most correct you have to consider that more than one answer is partially correct but only one is the best choice. Stanley Quayle of Quayle Consulting provide further guidance, “generic multiple-choice rules hold for most tests, just like in grade school, and don't forget to double-check every answer before finishing.” 

 

Read the whole question and all the possible answers fully, you might rush to answer and not consider something in the full question. Put marks on questions where you maybe were not really sure of the answer. Skip questions where you are really at a loss for an answer and return to those when done with the other questions.  Take your time on the test; most give you ample time to complete the questions but do keep an eye on time. If you are done early, go back and review the questions where you placed marks. 

 

For some exams you will get the results immediately while for others you will have to wait for an email or postal mail notice. If you pass, congratulations! Consider reading our article titled “You are Certified, Now What”. If you do not pass do not get too discouraged, almost all certifications allow you to retest, and consider reading our article titled “If You Don’t Pass That Exam”.